From Russia with Love (1963)

James Bond willingly falls into an assassination ploy involving a naive Russian beauty in order to retrieve a Soviet encryption device that was stolen by S.P.E.C.T.R.E.

Director:

Terence Young

Writers:

Richard Maibaum (screenplay), Johanna Harwood (adaptation)

Stars:

Sean Connery, Robert Shaw, Lotte Lenya

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sean Connery	...	James Bond
Daniela Bianchi	...	Tatiana Romanova
Pedro Armendáriz	...	Kerim Bey (as Pedro Armendariz)
Lotte Lenya	...	Rosa Klebb
Robert Shaw	...	Grant
Bernard Lee	...	'M'
Eunice Gayson	...	Sylvia Trench
Walter Gotell	...	Morzeny
Francis De Wolff	...	Vavra (as Francis de Wolff)
George Pastell	...	Train Conductor
Nadja Regin	...	Kerim's Girl
Lois Maxwell	...	Miss Moneypenny
Aliza Gur	...	Vida
Martine Beswick	...	Zora
Vladek Sheybal	...	Kronsteen

Storyline

James Bond 007 is on the search for a Russian decoding machine, known as "Lektor". Bond needs to find this machine, before the evil S.P.E.C.T.R.E. organization discovers it. While being romantically linked with Russian girl, Tatiana Romanova, Bond sneaks his way around Istanbul, while each S.P.E.C.T.R.E. Agent tries to pick him off, including the over powering Donald "Red" Grant and ex K.G.B. Agent Rosa Klebb, who knows all of the tricks in the book, and even possesses an incredible poison tipped shoe.

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Plot Keywords:

butt slap | mauser c96 pistol | mauser pistol | mauser | raki | 

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Taglines:

FANTASTIC 'BOND' SALE [Reissue poster]

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English Russian Turkish Romany

Release Date:

27 May 1964 (USA)

Also Known As:

From Russia with Love

Filming Locations:

"The Canals", Venice, Veneto, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$24,796,765

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$54,100,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Eon Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The pre-title sequence was shot in the grounds of Pinewood Studios, in particular, the distinct building Heatherden Hall. A popular part of the backlot, Heatherden Hall is a Grade II-listed, Victorian country house, and is used as offices, movie sets, and as a wedding venue. It, and the grounds, can also be better seen in daylight in the MGM movie version of another well-known (but non-James Bond) Ian Fleming book, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), amongst other movies and television series made at Pinewood Studios.

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Goofs

The Orient Express route shown in the film was discontinued in 1962, the year before the film was shot and released.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Morzeny: [after Grant kills a look-a-like Bond] Exactly one minute, fifty-two seconds. That's excellent.

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits are projected onto the moving body of a dancer.

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Alternate Versions

The original cinema release was cut by the BBFC to receive an "A" rating:

• Uses of the words "lovers" and "physical enjoyment" were cut.
• The gypsy dance was edited, including a shot of her bending backwards.
• The subsequent fight was reduced.
• A shot of Tatiana walking to the bed nude was cut. (This was later reinstated in video releases)
• Bonds reference to searching Tatiana was cut, and the kissing is reduced.
• Tatiana's line "I hope I came up to expectations" was cut.
• The scene where agents are shown filming Bond and Tatiana in the bed was shortened and darkened.
• "Was I" in the line "Was I as exciting as all those Western girls?" was changed to "Am I".
• Bond's line "two hours should straighten this out" as he lowers the blind on the Orient Express was removed.
• In the train compartment, Grant's line "What a performance!" when referring to the reel of film was cut.
• The Bond-Grant fight was reduced.
• When Bond shoots Klebb, her expressions of pain were reduced and the latter part of her moaning was muted.
• Bond's repeat of the line "What a performance!" on the boat was cut.

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Connections

Followed by A View to a Kill (1985)

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Soundtracks

From Russia with Love
Music by John Barry
Lyrics by Lionel Bart
Performed by Matt Monro

User Reviews

The best of the James Bond series, probably the best of the spy genre as well.

Connery came, he acted, and he conquered as James Bond in this second installment of the James Bond film franchise. With some of the most realistic fight scenes for a '60s movie and terrific story by Fleming, this film has a recipe for a masterpiece.

As mentioned in my review of "Dr. No", his charm and intellectual wit is still there, and then in some scenes in a whole lot more better than before. How he tries to commence his mission, you just couldn't fall asleep. A-grade acting by Connery here.

Then-newcomer Daniela Branchi is good as Bond Girl Tatiana, who is the wrong girl at the right time. Desmond Llewelyn, in his debut as gadget man Q, shows us an impressive array of gadgets that Bond would later find quite useful. But it is Robert Shaw, who almost steals the show as the murderous, merciless, assassin Grant, who will stop at nothing to prevent Bond and Tatiana from commencing their mission.

Crew also return here. Producers Brocolli and Saltzman and director Young have returned, with double the budget and double the thrills in return. Also, the musical score by John Barry is memorable, it really sets the tone for a realistic spy adventure.

The story is not meant to be an action picture. It is more like the adventures of a spy, with the dangers of being a spy. In short, it is a complex spy thriller, made to suit the target audience which are spy fans and intelligent viewers. I do not understand how anyone could call such a film "boring." This truly is a pinnacle of the James Bond series, one which will remain for years to come.

9.34/10

Delton